A/N: Out of the gate, I'm going to be very honest with all of you. While the summary is true to its word, this is my world of Aaron and Dave being married partners with Jack as well, whom Dave has adopted. However, that is only the backdrop to this story. There will be the relationship aspect between them as married partners, but that is it. I know that may turn some off; I respect your decision.

Yet, I implore all of you to note the rating; it's only because of my occasional potty mouth. There is absolutely no smut or even a remote mention of anything sexual. The summary is the crux of the story. Bottom line: this is about a child, dealing with issues.

I've had this story idea in the back of my head for over a year and it finally bit me enough and said "write this now". When my guts agreed, I was in. I always listen to my gut. And it's another one that pushed me to a new writing level.

As always, it's fully written and you will get a chapter a day. *pulls out light saber at latest FF gremlins*

All rights to the CM characters belong to Mark Gordon Productions, CBS and ABC Studios.

*Knightly bow*

Chapter 1

It was the weekend they all had been waiting for. It had been circled in red on the calendar in the entry way to the kitchen. Each afternoon, after Jack got off the bus and entered in the back door to look at Rosa or Aunt Jess waiting for him, he would take the red marker Papa had hanging by the calendar and mark off another day.

For the family, it was like the stars aligned. The first Saturday of the duck hunting season was the same weekend that Jack would be off from school Thursday and Friday, due to the Virginia State Teacher's convention. When Aaron and Dave had noticed that on the school schedule for the year that Jack had brought home his first day of second grade, they both had put in requests to use vacation time for the long weekend. They were quickly approved.

Erin Strauss, finally getting over her tongue lashing from the Director and her absolute butt kicking from her immediate supervisor over her handling of Aaron Hotchner and his team after the Foyet ordeal had found a heart. She fully supported the relationship the men had forged and backed them to the top of the FBI brass. "Mr. Director, with all due respect, they're happy; they handle their relationship in an absolute professional way while in the field or in the office, which I've witnessed, and the team is functioning as normal, with full buy in. What is the problem that David Rossi won't get an army of lawyers to make you think about? With all due respect sir, how do you say lawsuit?" That got the Director's attention and the subject was closed.

The family blew out the door, albeit a little late on Wednesday night to get to the cabin at Little Creek. By the time they arrived, Jack was sound asleep in the back seat, still buckled in. Mudgie on the floor beneath his feet was the same way. Aaron and Dave got out of the front seats of the vehicle in the garage and looked at each other. Dave smiled. "I've got the mutt." He knew how much Jack loved him as well as Aaron. But for Aaron to tuck his son into bed was special for him. That blood bond would never be broken and Dave highly respected it. He also factored in that the team had spent more on the road the last month with three cases then at home.

They spent the next two days in the woods, culling out dead trees that would fuel the fireplace at Dave's mansion. Aaron and Dave took turns running the chain saw to cut the trees down. Jack, with his eight year old legs, hauled log after log to Dave's four-wheeler and loaded them in the back. Mudg bounded along with Jack every step of the way.

Aaron or Dave would drive the four-wheeler to the driveway and dump the logs with Jack sitting on their lap. They each allowed Jack to steer the vehicle, giving him some help when needed. They didn't need to do much. Dave had hired a service that would split the bigger logs and deliver them to the home. Part of the wood they cut however, would stay at the cabin. While the family didn't spend a lot of time there in the winter months, they all loved the fireplace, especially around Christmas and the long weekends they could slip away and enjoy the remote spot. Jack helped his parents separate the really dried wood from a long dead tree that would stay at the cabin. Dave had gone into town Thursday morning to get the wood splitter for the job.

Yet Dave took the time to pull Jack aside and show him the new shoots of trees that were springing up in the forest. Jack smiled at him. "The circle of life Papa?"

"Exactly son," Dave smiled with pride. Aaron smiled as well.

They all worked long and hard and slept just as hard Thursday night. While they did the same Friday, by four in the afternoon, they were all enjoying the cabin and fireplace. Aaron was in the kitchen putting a batch of chili together as Dave and Jack enjoyed down time on the couch, enjoying the glow coming from the hearth.

Jack had discovered the magic of solving word find puzzles. He couldn't get enough of them, using his colored markers to run a straight line through the letters and then checking off the word in the list, rather than circling them like his parents did in ages past with a pencil. Dave smiled at Jack's initiative and highly supported the brain powering exercise for his son. Mudg snored away at their feet.

Jack looked at Dave. "Papa, when can I go duck hunting with you?"

Dave, his arm wrapped around his son, gave him a bit of a squeeze. "The Commonwealth of Virginia says you have to be twelve before you can watch a hunt with an adult."

"Papa?"

Dave kissed his head. "State law champino." Jack looked at him and frowned. "It's for your safety Jack, and one I believe in."

"How so Papa," Jack asked, drawing a line through another word. Dave marveled at his multi-tasking abilities at his age.

Aaron looked into the living room from the kitchen and smiled at Dave. Have fun with that Papa was the look he smirked. "'Cause Jack they want me to teach you about being on the hunt and gun safety when you're old enough to really understand."

"I'm not old enough yet?" Jack asked. "I know better to go anywhere near you or dad's weapons; even if you lock them up." While Aaron and Dave trusted Jack implicitly with their side arms in their home, they also understood an over active youngster's imagination. And Jack was no exception; many play dates with Henry LaMontagne, giving JJ and Will a break, involved the boys being super sleuths in the huge mansion which Aaron and Dave laughed about in the study enjoying their nightly scotch. The parents took the temptation out of the picture by locking them down.

"That's a start champino and a good one." Jack smiled at him. "But Jack, you have to realize the hunting situation around you and be careful to not move into my firing zone by accident. And as much as I love you champino, you've got to be a little older to understand those things and recognize them."

"OK Papa," Jack smiled.

"Besides my son, you've got to grow a few more inches so you can see over the blinds of the boat." Jacked nodded and Dave kissed his head as Jack, with his yellow marker, checked off another word. Aaron, leaning against the woodwork into the living room smiled as Dave shook his head at their son. He waved a brown bottle toward Dave.

"Need a beer?" he smiled.

"You know better," Dave smiled. Aaron walked into the living room, taking a sip of his beer as he handed the bottle Dave. He sat down on the coffee table and smiled at Jack, buzzing through the puzzle.

Aaron rubbed Jack's knee. "You're getting pretty good at them," he smiled with pride.

Jack smiled back. "Aunt Jess said it should help me with my spelling too." Not that Jack needed any help in that department. He was the Monroe Elementary first grade spelling bee champion earlier in the spring.

Yet, as Jack worked on the puzzle, a small yawn escaped. Aaron moved to the couch and sat down of the other side of their son. "You've put in a good amount of work the past couple of days Jack. I'm proud of you." Jack smiled at him. "But I bet you're feeling it just like Papa and I."

Jack looked at him and then slightly nodded his head, giving into the tired feeling coming over his body. Dave smiled. "I think the Jacuzzi tub is going to get a work out tonight."

After they finished their chili dinner, Dave's prediction came to fruition. As he finished washing the few dishes Aaron used in making the chili, Aaron and Jack watched the Animal Planet channel, now another Jack favorite.

When Dave finished, he joined them and they watched some TV together until Aaron looked at his watch. "I think it's time," he smiled at Dave. He left the two of them and went up the steps. Dave and Jack watched a bit more and then Dave shut off the TV.

"Come on champino," he smiled at his son. Jack nodded his head, and took his Papa's offered hand as Dave clicked the TV off. He's not running up the steps in front of me Dave noted. He's tired he smiled to himself. Mudg, having eaten his supper while the family did the same, didn't move. When they walked into the master bathroom, Jack looked at the fully filled tub.

Jack had been in the large tub before, but usually only with three, four inches of water at the most. Dave smiled as Jack said, "Wow dad: that's almost like a mini-swimming pool!"

Jack quickly got out of his clothes as Dave pushed the jets of the tub to get the water gently bubbling. Aaron lifted Jack into the tub. "This rocks dad," he smiled as he took a breath and sank beneath the water level.

Aaron rubbed Dave's shoulder. "You play life guard. I'll go get his p.j.'s and clean underwear." Dave smiled his compliance. Aaron walked in to Jack huddled up next to one of the jets of the tub, his elbows on the top, letting his body float on the waves of the gently moving current of the water in the tub.

That lasted about three minutes. "I'm getting a little cold," he smiled and submerged into the warm water and swam around the bottom a bit. The Jacuzzi tub was to David Rossi's standards, yet not the hugest in the world. Jack still had a great time enjoying the warmth and the gentle action of the tub's jets easing his aching muscles.

Twenty minutes later, Jack's head popped up from another "swim" under the water. He yawned deeply. "That's it buddy," Aaron smiled. "Time to get the real job done." Dave shut off the jets and they watched as Jack took his bath and they helped him get his hair washed.

"One last dive champino to get the shampoo out," Dave smiled. Jack silently rose at the end of the tub his parents were at and smiled.

"Hey guys," he smiled. Aaron got the hair conditioner rubbed into his son's inherited testy hair cowlicks and sent him under for the last rinse. Dave pulled one of his large Egyptian cotton towels from the cabinet in the bathroom and wanted for his son.

Jack popped his head up from the middle of the tub. "One more lap; please," he begged. His parents smiled and his head disappeared. When it resurfaced, he looked at Dave, the water dripping off his long blonde eyelashes he had inherited from his mother. "I'm ready Papa," he yawned.

Aaron pulled him out, set him on his feet and Dave enclosed their son in the waiting towel. They got him dried off and dressed. Jack looked at his parents. "Aren't you going to let the water out?"

Dave smiled. "After you go to bed, dad and I are going to soak our aching muscles." Jack smiled his acceptance of the plan.

"Buddy, go get a pair of socks on and we'll have a light snack before bed." Jack sped out of the bathroom and down the hall. Dave turned on the heater of the tub to keep the water warm and followed Aaron out of the bathroom, shutting the door to keep the room warm.

They went down the steps together and entered the kitchen. Aaron looked at Jack and winked at Dave. "I think with our hard work the past two days, we all deserve a small hot fudge sundae."

Jack danced into the living room, pushing his fists into the air. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Mudgie! Wake up! It's ice cream!" The parents shared a large smile. They both carefully watched how much sugar Jack had but allowed him a treat like this every once in a while. Mudg groggily lifted his head off the floor. He jumped to his feet, wagging his tail when he heard the ice cream bucket come out of the freezer of the side by side refrigeration unit in the kitchen. He sped by Jack into the kitchen.

Less than an hour later, Jack was sound asleep with Mudgie wrapped around the back of his legs. Aaron and Dave soaked their aching muscles and turned in for their own sleep by nine thirty.

###

A/N: Jack was a first grader in the spring; he started second grade in the fall. I had to stop a second and think when I was doing my editing so I thought I'd clear that up.